Huntington Bancshares Inc. expects to bolster its already robust government-backed small-business lending program with the acquisition of FirstMerit Corp. Pointing to new fiscal year-end data from the ...

Huntington Bancshares Inc. CEO Steve Steinour says the bank is entering a new era as it becomes a larger and more efficient company by merging with FirstMerit Corp. With the Columbus bank’s release of third-quarter earnings Wednesday, Steinour touted progress in a $3.4 billion acquisition of its Akron-based competitor, which closed in August but which still calls for brand and systems conversions by the end of the first quarter of next year. “This is the biggest acquisition in our history.